FAQ (frequently asked questions)

What is Freebase?
Freebase is an open database of the world’s information. "Open" means it's built by the community, for the community — anyone can contribute information, create collections of...
How is Freebase different from Wikipedia? From Google Base?
Wikipedia and Freebase both appeal to people who love to use and organize information, but the difference lies in the type of information covered, and the way it's organized. Wikipedia arranges...
How can I use Freebase?
There are several things you can do with Freebase: First, you can browse topics and search for information. If you’re looking for something specific, use the search and filter features. Almost...
Where does the information in Freebase come from?
Much of the information in Freebase is directly contributed by our user community. In addition, our internal team works to incorporate facts from many large, publicly available information sources...
How do I know that the information in Freebase is accurate?
Freebase has the same model of community collaboration and editing that has proven to be so successful for Wikipedia and other open information projects. While some inaccurate information is...
What are the rules for using the data in Freebase?
Freebase data is available for use under a Creative Commons license known as an “attribution” or “by” license. Under the terms of this license you're welcome to use...
Do I have to pay to use Freebase?
No. It’s free to use, whether you’re browsing, editing, uploading, or using Freebase information for your own purposes. That's why it's called “Freebase.”
What kind of database do you use? Is your platform open source?
Under the hood Freebase is a graph database. This means that instead of using tables and keys to define data structures, Freebase defines its data structure as a set of nodes and a set of links that...
Are you connected to other open data projects?
We believe fundamentally that information wants to be, and should be, free. In that sense we are connected to the ideas and intentions behind open data, but we have no formal relationship with...
What is the relationship between Freebase and Metaweb?
Metaweb is a technology company based in San Francisco. Freebase is the product we have spent the last few years developing.
How does Metaweb plan to make money?
Right now we're much more focused on creating Freebase than monetizing it, but we do have a few ideas. As a semantic web platform, Freebase can power many valuable applications. For instance,...
How can I contact Metaweb?
The discussion associated with each topic in Freebase is a great way to get in touch. You can also use our Feedback form, to send a bug report, feature request, or other Freebase.com-related...
Are you hiring?
Of course. Check out our jobs page .